Short & Sweet: A Tour Of The Pyrat Rum Factory

During my most recent trip to the Caribbean, I had the opportunity to do something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while: get an inside look at rum making in the islands.

The island of Anguilla lies just to the north of the French-Dutch island of St. Martin/St. Maarten, accessible by ferry from the French town of Marigot.  The island is British territory, roughly 16 miles (25 km) long and 3 miles (just under 5 km) wide at its widest point.  It boasts 33 white, sandy beaches and a peaceful island atmosphere for its 12,000 residents and many visitors.

The island is also home to the Anguilla Rums Ltd.

Located just to the east of Sandy Ground (on the northwestern side of the island) is a small, yellow building with brown shudders and a blue sign containing the image of a single bottle of Pyrat XO Reserve rum.  This is the home of Anguilla Rums Ltd., makers of Pyrat Rum.

Like many rum manufacturers, Anguilla Rums allows for tours of their facility – provided you have an appointment.  Visitors are allowed in to the tasting room any time, but if you have the desire to see a few details of how their operation works, you need to call ahead.  I setup our appointment about a week prior to our arrival with no trouble whatsoever.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rare spirits went for record high prices at Christie's New York auction house on Saturday with one bottle of 1926 Macallan Scotch selling for $54,000. It became the most expensive bottle of Scotch whiskey ever sold by the auction house, said Christie's, which has been holding similar sales in Europe for a decade.

Bought by a private New York investor, the Macallan was bottled in 1986 after spending 60 years in a wooden barrel. It had originally been expected to sell from between $20,000 and $30,000.

Richard Brierley, head of wine and spirits sales for Christie's America, was asked at an earlier press briefing if anyone would actually drink such a Scotch.

Evan Williams is bright brown with core highlights that are nearly red in this refined decanter. The cork is protected by a black rubber seal that goes all the way down to the end of the bottles bubbled neck. Markings on the front label clearly indicate the whiskey was put in oak in 1996 as do the handwritten notes, which add a touch of individuality, on the back label. Around the neck is a small booklet praising the quality of Evan Williams Single Barrel and listing some awards it has won over the years. All these little details make the bottle of Evan Williams Single Barrel very inviting and attractive.

I could hardly wait to finally open this bottle for review after 5 long months it had been calling my name on the shelf. But it wasn't going to be easy to get to its contents as the rip cord of the wax seal didn't work and I actually had use a knife to cut through the thick rubber and then through the odd plastic cover under it. It appears this bourbon was determined to pique my anticipation as it made me wait a little while longer - it took nigh on 10 minutes to open the bottle.

This is a bottle that makes you think you're in for something really special. A uniquely numbered square bottle with rounded shoulders and a big black wooden cork that distinguishes it from a crowd of other bottles.  The box itself, that Angostura 1919 came in, is quite refined too with its embossed flower pattern on the front. Before opening the bottle and pouring the rum in a glass I can already see that the clarity of Angostura 1919 is spectacular! You can clearly see through the golden liquid when looking through the bottle.

After removing the magnificent cork the room is slowly filled with a deliciously intoxicating scent of vanilla and caramel. In the glass Angostura 1919 is a pale gold with thin legs that soon sink back down the sides of the glass merging back into the rest of the rum. Once settled in the glass the clarity is even more exceptional than it was in the bottle.